McCownGordon Builds on National Industrial & Manufacturing Success with Key Leadership Promotions
Firm expands leadership capacity to support continued business unit growth
Kansas City, MO (03, 04, 2026) – Following sustained growth and expansion, McCownGordon is strengthening its national Industrial & Manufacturing business unit through several key leadership promotions. The moves align with the business unit’s established vertical markets and support a long-term growth strategy focused on scaling, delivering an excellent client experience and continued expansion.
With a unique construction-led design-build approach, McCownGordon’s Industrial & Manufacturing business unit delivers complex facilities for life sciences, food and beverage, logistics and industrial clients nationwide. The team brings deep technical expertise, operational excellence and a collaborative, people-first mindset to projects ranging from highly regulated manufacturing environments to large-scale automated distribution facilities.
To support continued expansion within its established vertical markets, several leadership promotions have been made across the business unit.
Daniel Lacy, a 20-year veteran of the firm, will step into a new role as vice president and business unit leader for the life sciences vertical market. Known for leading complex, large-scale projects, Lacy will oversee a team serving clients in pharmaceutical manufacturing, nutritional products and laboratory spaces. McCownGordon’s life sciences portfolio includes work for some of the nation’s most notable organizations including Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc., CEVA Biomune and Eurofins.
Aaron Winter has been promoted to market leader for the food and beverage vertical market, bringing diverse experience as an owner-side engineer and a proven track record managing large-scale design-build projects. The firm recently completed Walmart’s 330,000-square-foot state-of-the-art, high-volume case-ready beef production facility in Olathe, Kansas. Additional food and beverage clients include McCormick, Cargill and Royal Canin.
Chris Hess, a 21-year McCownGordon veteran, has been promoted to director and business unit leader for the logistics vertical market. In this role, Hess will focus on expanding the firm’s warehousing and distribution work for key national clients such as Amazon.
Finally, Amanda Tran P.E. has been promoted to director of engineering and will assume responsibility for all design services across the Industrial & Manufacturing business unit. Leveraging extensive design and engineering experience, Tran will position projects for success during the early stages of design and development.
The promotions underscore McCownGordon’s commitment to developing talent and promoting from within. Additional promotions include Ben Killingsworth to director of operations, Eli Haskett to director of preconstruction, Jeff Larson to director of business development and Brandon Brinker to senior project manager.
“Our success in the Industrial & Manufacturing markets has always been driven by our people,” said Justin Hamilton, vice president of Industrial & Manufacturing at McCownGordon. “We have a strong track record of delivering large-scale, complex projects, which makes it critical to elevate leaders who understand our clients, our approach and what it takes to deliver exceptional results. This team is well positioned to lead us forward.”
